On October 18th in Zanesville, Ohio, some nut set free 56 of his wild animals from his menagerie to run amuck before he killed himself. The sheriff's deputies had no choice but to shoot almost all of the animals dead, as they did not have any tranquilizer guns. In any case, it would have taken too long for the tranquilizers to take affect and sundown was approaching. If the animals were not killed, it's possible they might disperse over a wide area and kill people and livestock overnight and in the days to come.

~ Ohio's lax animal laws.

The Humane Society of the United States believe that exotic animals should be banned as pets. Incidentally, the owner of the 56 released animals, Terry Thompson, was convicted of animal cruelty in the past. People like Thompson often claim that they love animals. But to keep wild animals that need wide open spaces in cages and pens is nothing but cruel and callous. These people are using these creatures to meet their own selfish and vain desires and care nothing about the animals they keep in distress and pain throughout their lives. It's about time the trade in wild animals be outlawed.

[Updated Insert – October 28, 2011: Terry Thompson's wife, Marian Thompson, is currently trying to reclaim the six surviving animals from the Columbus Zoo and to take them back with her to an alternate home in Ohio (the original farm from which the animals were freed had cramped and unclean conditions). She has hired a lawyer. This move might seem really odd to normal people, but this betrays the incredibly selfish, insensitive, and self-centered attitude of the Thompsons – unfit to take care of any animal. When morons have control over animals, it is the animals that suffer. Click here.